Latin America – Primal Tennis

Are you looking to play tennis in Buenos Aires, Argentina? I’ve got you covered because I spent a whole month in Buenos Aires playing tennis and trying out different tennis clubs. The best places to play tennis in Buenos Aires, Argentina are GEBA and Circuito-KDT. GEBA, a sports association with three different locations, has 26 red-clay tennis courts at its main location. Circuito-KDT, a facility with eight clay courts, is also a good choice because you can pay each time you play without a need for membership. Both GEBA and Circuito-KDT are great choices for short-term visitors and long-term expats because they have a variety of membership options to choose from. Make sure to read below as I highlight these clubs in greater detail and a few other tennis options as well. https://youtu.be/bjj46dgFVTk Overview of Tennis in Buenos Aires, Argentina I have played tennis in many different countries and three things stood out to me about tennis in Buenos Aires: 1) Exclusivity – The majority of tennis clubs in Buenos Aires are private and very exclusive. Your only chance to play at them is through invitation by a current member. Some clubs, you will not even be considered for membership unless you are invited by a member and then go through an extensive approval process. 2) The Beauty of Red Clay - The remarkable thing about tennis in Buenos Aires is the beautiful red-clay tennis courts. I have played tennis on red-clay in other countries, but Argentina perhaps has the most beautiful and well-maintained courts I have played on. The clubs take pride in keeping courts in optimal shape, both from an aesthetic and playability perspective. 3) Abundance of Clubs – Although many clubs are very exclusive, there are so many clubs to choose from. I spent a whole month in Buenos Aires and I came nowhere close to testing them all out. However, due to the exclusivity of many clubs, there are only a handful of options for short-time visitors. *Tennis in Buenos Aires - WhatsApp Group Need help finding tennis players to play with in Buenos Aires? There is a WhatsApp Group - Tennis in Palermo - which is dedicated to tennis in Buenos Aires. The group is active and a great place to meet local players, foreigners, and tennis coaches. I used it successfully to find players playing partners, setup matches, and get court recommendations. *Ever want to play tennis in Medellin, Colombia? Check out my Medellin tennis guide. Best Tennis Clubs in Buenos Aires for Visitors These tennis clubs are the ones most easily accessible for visitors and tennis players in Buenos Aires. In addition to the three clubs mentioned below, many smaller clubs that have 2 or 3 courts will let you play without committing to a membership, but their presence on Google is minimal. GEBA (Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires) GEBA is an organization with three different tennis facilities in Buenos Aires. In addition to tennis, each facility has a variety of other activities like basketball, paddle tennis, volleyball, field hockey, and football (soccer). The variety of amenities makes it a great club if you have a family. The main facility, located at Av. Figueroa Alcorta 5575, has 26 red clay tennis courts, one hard court, and a hitting wall. They also have a restaurant and beverage shop on site. However, I did find it surprising that they do not string racquets at the club, or at least during my time in Buenos Aires. An unfiltered photo I took before a match at GEBA. Amazing right? Very quickly, GEBA became my favorite tennis club here and the one which I called home. I worked with Julian, a tennis pro, on some specific troubles with my game and he was fantastic at helping me fix those issues. Also, they have a tennis academy onsite, featuring a few professional players training in the program, as well as many junior players. GEBA offers memberships that you can purchase by month and can cancel at any time. I bought a one-month membership that came out to about $50 US dollars. When signing up, make sure to go to the main facility on Avenue Figueroa Alcorta because it is where the office is. Circuito-KDT (Ex-KDT) Circuito-KDT, also called Ex-KDT, is a tennis facility in Buenos Aires at Parque Manuel Belgrano. They have eight red clay tennis courts and one hard court. As of May 2023, they are in construction of new paddle tennis courts which will be ready soon. Many players in the "Tennis in Palermo" WhatsApp group prefer Circuito-KDT because of low prices and no-commitment to membership. My favorite thing about Circuito-KDT is that you do not need a membership to play there. It is a public facility where you can pay each time you play for a reasonable fee without committing to membership. That makes it a perfect location for short-term visitors looking to play tennis in Buenos Aires. *Check out my free guide to tennis and pickleball in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! Club de Amigos If you don’t like clay courts and prefer hard courts, then Club de Amigos is a good option for you. They have seven hard tennis courts. The biggest drawback of Club de Amigos is that it requires a one-year membership commitment, although it is reasonably priced. It is a good option if you plan to stay in Buenos Aires for the long-term. I toured Club de Amigos and they have nice hard courts as well as paddle tennis. Club de Amigos is a huge sports complex with a lot more than just tennis. They have a workout gym, swimming pool, basketball, paddle tennis, football, and many other sports. I would consider this facility only if I had a family and was staying in Buenos Aires for a year or longer. Exclusive Clubs If you get the opportunity to play at one of these clubs, consider yourself very fortunate. They are very historic and exclusive, and not easily accessible for visitors to Buenos Aires. Your opportunity will have to come through an existing member or a serious commitment to membership. Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club Founded in 1892, Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club is the most prestigious and historical tennis club in Argentina and one of the most in all of South America. They have a long running professional ATP tournament which has featured some of the world's best, including Rafael Nadal, Guillermo Vilas, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Rod Laver, and countless others. It has also hosted many Davis Cup matches over the years. Unfortunately, it is not a club where you can just show up and play, nor can you get a membership without profound social connections. San Juan Tennis Club I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to play at the San Juan Tennis Club when I was invited by a friend that I made through playing paddle tennis. I was blown away by their authentic red-clay tennis courts, the exact same as Roland Garros. It felt like playing on butter, the smoothest and best tennis court I have ever played on. Me playing tennis at San Juan Tennis Club with Claudio. They have eight tennis courts spread out over four floors, with two courts on each floor, and other floors dedicated to other amenities such as a swimming pool and spa. Fortunately, they do have membership opportunities for players staying in Buenos Aires long-term. They are not cheap because the club is 1st class with their facilities and hospitality. Tenis Club Argentino Tenis Club Argentino is an extremely exclusive tennis club in Buenos Aires. I went there to ask about membership information and opportunities to play and was rejected very quickly. I was told that the only way to play there was to be invited by a current member. For membership, you need to go through a formal approval process with the board of directors and president. I'm sure it would have been nice! *Check out my free guide on tennis in Pattaya, Thailand! Pickleball or Paddle Tennis in Buenos Aires? Want to play pickleball in Buenos Aires? Unfortunately, there are no active pickleball groups or courts in Buenos Aires. However, paddle tennis is extremely popular here, perhaps even more than regular tennis. Nearly every tennis facility I visited in Buenos Aires had a set of paddle tennis courts. Paddle tennis, which uses the same scoring and tennis balls as regular tennis, is a fun sport that uses a paddle instead of a racquet. The crossover is somewhat easy for tennis players because the hand-eye coordination is similar. However, the courts have glass windows that make up the barrier of the court and are used frequently during the points to hit the ball off of. If you want to play paddle tennis, I recommend doing what I did and take a lesson at Lasaigues Padel Sheraton. I highly recommend Lasaigues because it is conveniently located at the Sheraton hotel and has a very friendly staff that helped me get set up. They have quality instructors, a paddle tennis store, and a small restaurant onsite. ***** I sincerely hope this article helped you on your tennis journey in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Please also subscribe to my YouTube channel - Primal Tennis, and my Instagram account – Primal Tennis. Hope to see you out on the courts soon!